The Key to Surviving a Tough R.T. Job Market – 7/24/2012

Are you a radiologic technologist having trouble finding a job? The word is “cross-train.”

The market for U.S. radiologic technologists is tough right now, with more supply than demand. Hospitals have cut back on their hiring and vacancy rates are low – at a time when radiography schools are turning away students due to full enrollments.

As the buyers’ market that began in 2010 persists for a third year, hiring experts suggest that candidates do everything in their power to make themselves more saleable, including getting more education if necessary. The more duties they can handle, the more they increase their chance of landing a job.

“The best thing an X-ray technologists can do is figure out a way to get cross-trained,” said Landry Seedig, a senior vice president at Med Travelers, part of AMN Healthcare. Get your CT cert, or mammography, or MRI.”

He also urges job-seekers heading for California to get a fluoroscopy license.

That sentiment is echoed by Veronica Esparza, a recruiter in the talent management department of Scripps Health in San Diego.

“The way to stand out is having a person with CT and MRI. That’s a combo we really like because one person can do the job of two people. You’re more versatile when you have two different modalities,” she said.

Esparza adds that this is the time to make your resume shine. She wants to see all certifications and experience. “A lot of people forget to add their skills,” she said. And if applying online, “make sure you follow all the steps and attach a resume.”

For those entry-level radiologic technologists lucky to be employed, Seedig says that they should try to get cross-trained on the job and follow that up with the necessary education and certification. Some hospitals reimburse for education credits.

He also said salaries for ultrasound technologists have been moving upward. Highest paid are R.T.s who specialize in nuclear medicine, MRI, PET and cardiovascular/echocardiography/interventional, according to salary surveys.

According to the ASRT’s salary survey from 2010, the average full-time compensation for a U.S. radiologic technologist was $61,733. Overall, the group’s data showed a 5.2 percent increase over the average of $58,673 in 2007. (The organization only surveys every three years.)

“However, the U.S. inflation rate during the same period was 6.5 percent, meaning wages did not keep up with the cost of living for many radiologic science professionals,” the society said in a press release in May 2010.

“Many factors undoubtedly contributed to the slower growth of salaries in the past three years, including a sluggish national economy, the equalization of supply and demand for medical imaging personnel and changes within health care,” said ASRT vice president of education and research Myke Kudlas, M.Ed., RT (R)(QM), in a statement.

The ASRT survey found the highest average salary (in 2010) was in California at $82,753. Generally, R.T.s in the Pacific region made more than everyone else in the country, data showed.

The ASRT also provides a Salary Estimator on its website. Job seekers or those who are simply curious can use the estimator to find average salaries based on educational level, practice area, geographic region and other criteria. It’s a useful tool that can help with salary negotiations when starting a new job, accepting a transfer or promotion, or asking for a raise.

Joyce Routson is a journalist on the HEALTHeCAREERS.com News Beat Team who has written about healthcare, labor and recruiting for a number of publications including the Contra Costa Times, NurseWeek and Staffing Industry Report. A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, she also works as an editor at Industry Intelligence Inc.